Garment hanger support



16, 1954 s. COHEN El'AL GARMENT HANGER SUPPORT Filed Sept. 5, 1952INVENTOR. SELMA L. COHEN FELIX A. ORLEWITZ Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITEDPATENT OFFICE GARMENT HANGER SUPPQRT Selma L. Cohen and Felix A.Orlewitz, New York, N. Y.

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in col lapsible supports forgarment hangers.

A primary object of the invention is the pro vision of a collapsiblesupport which may conveniently mounted, on the inner side of the door ofa closet or other compartment and which is designed and constructed insuch a manner as to assure maximum utilization of a limited amount ofstorage space.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of thecharacter indicated wherein the garment supporting element is pivotallyattached to a base supporting element and may be swung to an inclinedoperative position or alternatively may be collapsed to a compactcondition substantially parallel to the base element, thereby occupyinga minimum of space.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of thecharacter indicated having a novel and durable arrangement for limitingthe movement of the garment supporting element between its incli edoperative posh tion and its retracted or collapsed position.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a device ofthe character described having a simple and positive latching meansarranged to substantially automatically loci: tr e garment supportingelement in vertical retracted position by the action of gravity andwhich need only be raised slightly to allow the garment sup portingelement to be swung to operative positlon.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of thecharacter described which is lightweight and durable and which may befabricated simply, rapidly and inexpensively.

The foregoing objects as well as additional objects and advantages ofthe invention will be readily apparent in the course of the followingdetailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingwhich illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the collapsible support with the garmentsupporting element shown in open or inclined operative position;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the device in collapsed condition;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the device in open p-= erative conditiontogether with an enlarged detail view of the manner of connecting thetie or strap member to the garment supporting element;

Fig. 3a is a showing on an enlarged scale of the portion of thestructure of Fig. 3 the arm it with its pivotal connection to member i2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of the lower portion ofthe device;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the upper portion of the device andillustrates the interrelationship of the base supporting element, thegarment supporting element and the latching member; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5 but 2 illustrating theoperation of the latching member.

Referring now to the drawing in greater detall, the collapsible supportincludes the base member or mounting element It which is preferably flatand elongated and which may be formed, if desired, from syntheticplastic material or the like, as may the other component elements of thedevice. Adjacent its upper and lower ends respectively, and intermediatethereoi, base member is is provided with the mounting apertures II forthe reception of screws or other fastening elements so that the basemember may be readily secured in substantially vertical position to thewall or the inside of the door of a closet or other storage compartment.

Adjacent the lower end of base member l0, an elongated bar or garmentsupporting member 12 is swingably mounted as by means of the hinge orpivotal connection l3. In order to prevent torsional distortion of thesupporting member if: under load, base member IQ is proed adjacent itslower end with a pair of ierably integral guiding members or tongues irich extend within a pair of slots l5 formed in supporting member [2, asbest shown in Fig. .4.

t will also be noted that supporting member i2 is preferablychannel-shaped for maximum strength and that the side flanges lieuthereof over the sides of base member iii in the collapsed condition or"the device, as shown in Fig. 5.

An important feature of the invention resides in the manner ofinterconnecting supporting more er for the swingable extension or" saidsupporting member in its operative inclined position of Fig. 3 and,alternatively, to provide for its retraction into substantially verticalinoperative position Figs. 2 and 5). For this purpose a slidable, rigidtie member or arm it is hingedly connected at its outer end as at ill tosupporting member l2. As best seen in the enlarged detail view as shownin Fig. 3a of the pivotal connection of arm it to member it of Fig. 3,hinge connection ll preferably comprises the hinge bracket it which maybe secured to supporting member I2 in any suitable manner, as forexample, screw is or a rivet. Since supporting :ember l2 may be formedof synthetic plastic material, hinge bracket it may be secured theretoby heat sealing means such as a plastic rivet in lieu of screw IS.

The front face of base member i0 is provided with a rectangular recess26 for the reception of slidable arm 16 in the collapsed condition ofthe device. In the lower portion of recess 29, base member is is formedwith a slot 2! for slidable reception of the lower end of tie member 16.this purpose tie member it is formed adjacent its lower end with a pairof inwardly extending slots 22 (see Fig. i) and a terminal lockingprotuberance or enlargement 23. It will of course be understood that therear surface of base memher it will also be recessed, as at 3% (Fig.4)., in the area of slot 2| in order to provide for sliding 5'2 withbase member It so as to provide 3 clearance of the terminal enlargement23 of tie member l6 when the device is mounted on a supporting surface.

By reason of the described arrangement it will be seen that slot 21serves together with slidable tie member IE to limit the outwardswingable extension of supporting member I2 to the position illustratedin Fig. 3, the angle of inclination of said supporting member withrespect to base member I depending upon the height of the slot 2|.

In order to provide for releasably retaining supporting member incollapsed vertical position, a slidable latching member 24 is providedat the upper end of base member ID. Accordingly, base member 10 isprovided at its upper end with an inwardly extending recess 25 (seeFigs. 5 and 6) and the latching member 24 is formed adjacent its rearlower edge with a pair of inwardly extending lateral lugs 26 which areslidably received within recess '25 for slidable inter-engagementbetween said latching member and base member iii. The extreme upper endof supporting member 12 defines a projecting tongue 2'1 beveled as at 28(see Fig. 6) which will be retained by the lower end of front wall 24aof latching member 24 in the collapsed condition of the device. In orderto release supporting member l2, it is only necessary to lift slidablelatching member 2 sufficiently to clear the projecting tongue 27 ofsupporting member i2, whereupon said supporting member may be readilyswung or lowered to its operative inclined position illustrated in Fig.3.

As illustrated in the drawings, supporting member I2 is provided on itsfront surface with a plurality of studs or protuberances 25 each ofwhich defines a notch 30 for the reception of the hook portion of agarment hanger or the like.

By reason of the novel construction and arrange- -lment of the presentinvention the device may be employed for supporting an unusually largenumber of garments within a relatively restricted space or enclosure.The swingable connection between supporting member 12 and base member I0together with the limiting movement imposed upon said supporting memberby the slidable tie member I6 and the presence of the latching member 24combine to allow the device to be readily collapsed into relativecompacted condition, thereby greatly conserving valuable space, andalternatively the arrangement described allows swingable extension ofthe garment supporting member I? to open operative position for easyhanging or removal of garments therefrom.

Since certain modifications may be made in the device of the presentinvention without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended thatall matter contained in the foregoing specification and shown in theaccompanying drawing be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in alimiting sense; and, accordingly, that the appended claims are to beconstrued as defining the invention within the full spirit and scopethereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible device for supporting garments and the like comprisinga base member adapted to be mounted in substantially vertical positionon a supporting surface, a garment supporting member swingably attachedto said base member adjacent the lower end thereof, a tie memberinterconnecting said base member and said supporting member, said tiemember being dimensioned to retain said supporting member in operativeinclined limiting position with respect to said base member at apredetermined angle of inclination, said base member being formed with apair of integral guiding tongues adjacent the lower end thereof, saidsupporting member being formed with a pair of complementary slots forthe reception of said guiding tongues in order to prevent torsionaldistortion of said supporting member under load, and latching meanscarried by said base member for releasably retaining said supportingmember in substantially vertical collapsed condition.

2. A collapsible device for supporting garments and the like comprisinga base member adapted to be mounted in substantially vertical positionon a supporting surface, a garment supporting member swingably attachedto said base member adjacent the lower end thereof, a tie memberpivotally connected at its lower end to said base member to define anoperative inclined limiting position for said supporting member andslidably connected at its lower end to said base member to define anoperative inclined limiting position for said supporting member at apredetermined angle of inclination with respect to said base member,said base member being formed with a pair of integral guiding tonguesadjacent the lower end thereof, said supporting member being formed witha pair of complementary slots for the reception of said guiding tonguesin order to prevent torsional distortion of said supporting member underload, and latching means carried by said base member for releasablyretaining said supporting member in substantially vertical collapsedcondition.

3. A collapsible device for supporting garments and the like comprisinga base member adapted to be mounted in substantially vertical positionon a supporting surface, a garment supporting member swingably attachedto said base member adjacent the lower end thereof, a tie memberpivotally connected at its upper end to said supporting member, saidbase member having in the lower portion thereof a longitudinal slot forslidable engagement of the lower end of said tie member, said slot beingdimensioned to define an operative inclined limiting position for saidsupporting member at a predetermined angle of inclination with respectto said base member, said base member being formed with a pair ofintegral guiding tongues adjacent the lower end thereof, said supportingmember being formed with a pair of complementary slots for the receptionof said guiding tongues in order to prevent torsional distortion of saidsupporting member under load, and latching means carried by said basemember for releasably retaining said supporting member in substantiallyvertical collapsed condition.

SELMA L. COHEN. FELIX A. ORLEWITZ.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 882,277 Teipel Mar. 17, 1908 1,318,257 Blaustein Oct. 7, 19191,430,755 Roberson Oct 3, 1922 1,522,873 Doering Jan. 13, 1925 1,842,991Maclntosh Jan. 26, 1932 1,896,654 Weaton Feb. 7, 1933 1,995,980I-Iaymcnd Mar. 26, 1935 I 2,508,871 Stein May 23, 1950

